Hundreds of Danish demonstrators are planning to cross the Øresund on Thursday to participate in a protest against Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in Malmö. Around 500 activists are expected to fill eight buses organized by several pro-Palestinian groups with the purpose of expressing their dissatisfaction with Israel’s policies. According to the Swedish news agency TT, the demonstration will take place at the same time as the Israeli participant, Eden Golan, performs in the competition’s second semi-final. Martin Bryld, spokesperson for the organizing groups, says that there will also be participants arriving by train. “The interest has been enormous, and it is difficult to estimate the exact number of Danes who will participate,” he says.
The demonstration is part of a larger movement, where more than 20,000 demonstrators from different European countries are expected to gather under the slogan “Exclude Israel from Eurovision”. This marks a continued tension concerning Israel’s political situation and its effects on international cultural events like Eurovision.